An injection of platelet rich plasma may be an effective alternative treatment for people with knee osteoarthritis, especially when it is mild, says a review of the evidence published in Arthritis Research & Therapy.

Scientists evaluated if platelet rich plasma is superior to hyaluronic acid in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis by looking at data from seven studies involving 908 people (44% men and 56% women) aged around 60 years old.

“Platelet-rich plasma intra-articular injection of the knee may be an effective alternative treatment for knee osteoarthritis, especially in patients with mild knee osteoarthritis,” the scientists write. “Although some studies suggested that the effect of platelet-rich plasma was no better than hyaluronic acid, we found that it was no worse.”

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